Ms. Foundation joins the fight for SOL reform. Rally tomorrow in NY!
New bill to combat childhood sexual abuse
completely eliminates SOL codes in NY State
Lobby Day brings victims and advocates to Albany to urge passage
of Markey’s Child Victims Act to get justice for crimes against children
Assemblywoman Margaret Markey will hold a press conference in Albany to report on her new expanded Child Victims Act that will completely eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse offenses.
Speakers will report about their testimony before a public hearing of the Assembly Codes Committee on childhood sexual abuse in March and provide updates about abuse cases that have recently been in the news. The program is being held in conjunction with a Lobby Day by supporters of Markey’s Child Victims Act of New York (A1771). The event will be on:
Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 12:00 Noon
LCA Press Room 130, First Floor,
NYS State Legislative Office Building
Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY
At the press conference Assemblywoman Markey will also announce a new initiative to press for passage of the bill. It is a state-wide campaign, “Family & Friends of Survivors”, which will schedule family members of child sex abuse survivors to visit every member of the Assembly and State Senate in their offices in early June.
Speakers include: Cardozo Law School Professor Marci Hamilton, author and expert on the changes underway across America to update archaic statute of limitations codes in many states; Julie Kay, Ms. Foundation for Women, which has a new initiative in New York State, “Ending Child Sexual Abuse”; Mark Meyer Appel, Voice of Justice, who will report on victim intimidation in the Jewish community; Rabbi Nachum Rosenberg, who was assaulted over his support for a victim who bravely testified against a counselor who raped her; and Nancy Lorence, Metro NY Chapter of Call to Action.
Among speakers who also testified at the Assembly Codes Committee public hearing in March are: Mary DeSantis, mother of a survivor; Christopher Anderson, Male Survivor; attorney Tina Weber, who will report on the conclusion of legal action involving a former Diocese of Albany priest; and Melanie Blow, Prevent Child Abuse New York.
The legislation, A1771, has been adopted by the Assembly four times since 2006, but has not yet advanced in the State Senate. It would completely eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes in New York State (which now expires only 5 years after a victim turns 18) and also completely suspend the civil statute of limitations for one year to provide justice for older victims and unmask abusers and those who have hidden them.
